Jewish/Interfaith Rituals and Life Cycles
I work with you to create unique rituals, integrating the Jewish calendar with new and old teachings that bring contemporary meaning to ancient rites
Marriage
Jewish/Interfaith
Same-sex
Queer
Bar/Bas Mitzvah
Tutoring: Children & Adults
Chanting Torah/Writing D’var
Welcoming
Bris
Baby Naming/Covenanting
Adoption
(Note: I affirm my belief in patrilineal descent.)
Saying Goodbye
Funeral/Memorial
Memorial
Unveiling
Shiva minyan (traditional and non-)
Healing Circle
Transitions
Conversion
Dedication of a home
Retirement
Divorce
Blending Families
What People Are Saying
“Rabbi Juliet was an absolute breath of fresh air…She is the best out there and will do everything to make your day special and memorable.”
“When we finally crossed paths with Rabbi Juliet, my wife and I felt an instant sense of relief…Rabbi Juliet exceeded all expectations, beyond our wildest dreams.”
“It is not everyday that one finds someone with the patience, acceptance, knowledge, love and excitement for learning that Juliet possesses and we were grateful for her warm and embracing interactions with our son as he prepared for his B-Mitzvah.”
“The rabbi for our baby naming fell through at the last minute, and a mutual friend introduced us to Rabbi Juliet. She stepped in 3 days before our event (during Passover no less!), and crafted a very special ceremony that honored both Jewish traditions and our unique interfaith family. Even with the short timeline, Rabbi Juliet took time to learn about both of us as parents and our families, and we felt very affirmed and supported in all interactions. Lastly, Rabbi Juliet brought lots of enthusiasm to our baby naming ceremony; we loved this positive energy which set a great tone for our child's faith journey!" —-Jenna S
“Rabbi Juliet! Thank you SO much for the (baby naming) ceremony. It meant a lot to us and to everyone in the family, as I’m sure you witnessed.”—Ben S.
“Hi, Rabbi Juliet, Thank you so much for the baby naming ceremony today. It was truly so beautiful. Everyone was so touched and will always remember this day. Thank you, thank you, thank you. —-Graham
“Juliet was a wonderful b-mitzvah tutor for our son Elie. She approached her work with Elie with such caring and love, meeting him where he is as a learner. Juliet was patient and encouraging, helping Elie to learn at his own pace. She didn’t push him, but was kind in her effort to keep him focused and on track. Elie looked forward to his sessions with Juliet and approached his work with her with passion and solemnity. It is not everyday that one finds someone with the patience, acceptance, knowledge, love and excitement for learning that Juliet possesses and we were grateful for her warm and embracing interactions with Elie as he prepared for this momentous occasion in his life.”
—-Rebecca S.
“My husband and I decided to have an interfaith wedding and were looking for both a priest and a Rabbi who would work well together. After looking long and hard, and feeling very discouraged, we came across Rabbi Juliet. She immediately responded and was happy to hop on a call with us and was an absolute breath of fresh air. We didn't hesitate to book her, and we're so happy we did! Throughout the process, we had multiple Zoom calls with Rabbi Juliet so she could get to know us as a couple, individually, and about our parents and our upbringings…Rabbi Juliet was so sweet, easy to work with, and funny too! On our wedding weekend, Rabbi Juliet joined all of our festivities and said beautiful prayers for our rehearsal dinner night. On the wedding day, she showed up plenty of time in advance and was very professional. She got along great with the pastor that we also had there, and they both made our ceremony flow amazingly. People were coming up to us after our wedding saying how much they loved the ceremony and how beautiful they thought it was. Both my husband and I highly recommend Rabbi Juliet to all couples looking for a Jewish ceremony, or even an interfaith ceremony like we did. She is the best out there, and will do everything she can to make your wedding day special and memorable!”
—-Madeline Kuzminsky
“Our baby’s naming and covenanting ceremony would’ve been incomplete without Rabbi Juliet’s touch. She led the ceremony with such grace and spirituality that even family members who joined us via zoom cried happy tears. She took the time to get to know the both of us–the parents, and included our traditions and cultures that made it truly special for our families.”
— Sandra & Graham
“Rabbi Juliet was a fantastic part of my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah journey. She taught her how to chant her parsha with confidence and understanding, and did so with an infectious sense of joy, playfulness and exploration. She prepared her not just for the day of her Bat Mitzvah, but for taking her place as a woman and leader in the community. She’s a fantastic teacher and mentor.”
—-Debora Cahn
“My daughter, Eloise, prepared for her bat mitzvah with Juliet. Juliet helped her to learn the prayers, to chant her Torah portion and write her D’var Torah (speech). Juliet was kind and patient and always made Eloise feel comfortable even when she was working through more challenging issues. Eloise was always excited to have Juliet come over to get to work on practicing for the big day. She knew when to let Eloise joke around and relax and was able to transition her back to work seamlessly. It was a true pleasure and Juliet will always be a huge part of our memories from that special day. Eloise could not have done it without her.”
—Charlotte G.
“Juliet is a very supportive teacher who is very understanding of your skill level. She is very patient, kind and responsible. She is also honest and helpful. I had a great experience working with Juliet and hope that others will have the same good experience that I had. My family and I are very grateful for Juliet’s help.”
—-Elie Weissman, age 13
“Like I told you before the shiva minyan, we were all coming from very different places—and you made an opening for everyone. Thank you, Rabbi Juliet.” —Jon W.
(read about the funeral, and read my eulogy, "For Overachievers” here.)
“Rabbi Juliet, you did a beautiful job on (Ms. Anonymous’) funeral. I loved the way you immediately addressed the elephant in the room.” (Link to my eulogy:“For a Life Lived with Passion, Love, Loss, and Addiction,” here.)
“My wife and I come from two different religious backgrounds and we made the decision to have an interfaith wedding ceremony, incorporating aspects of both of our faiths. We found Rabbi Juliet when we were searching for a Rabbi who was willing to perform an interfaith wedding ceremony. As we were searching for the right Rabbi, we came across multiple ones who wouldn’t even consider us or they would have certain stipulations for our ceremony. When we finally crossed paths with Rabbi Juliet, my wife and I felt an instant sense of relief. Rabbi Juliet herself has been in an interfaith marriage and really understood what we were going through. She listened to what our vision for the ceremony was and helped with different ideas of how to incorporate the Jewish faith. We met multiple times before the wedding, not only talking about different Jewish traditions for the ceremony, but Rabbi Juliet also took a lot of time getting to know us. Rabbi Juliet made us feel very comfortable with her and it gave us the utmost confidence in her to marry us! Fast forward to the wedding weekend, she performed an amazing Bedeken ceremony for us before the rehearsal dinner. It was a very intimate ceremony, where we had immediate family, and signed our interfaith Ketubah! The wedding ceremony itself was amazing, Rabbi Juliet exceeded all expectations and helped give us the most beautiful ceremony that we will remember forever! I would recommend her to anyone who is interested in a Jewish or interfaith ceremony!”
—Joe Kuzminsky
Statement on fees:
While my rabbi work is a living for me—and I live by it—it is more than that.
It is a calling.
And it is sacred and holy work.
I come from twenty years of teaching Spanish and English to immigrants in the public schools of New York City. After raising two children, I went through seven years of rabbinical school that required my full attention, meaning I could not work simultaneously.
What many individuals, couples, and families face today, especially the ones I tend to serve, is the challenge of how to navigate, negotiate and figure out life, making Judaism a part of it, successfully—in a multicultural, multi-faith world that pulls us in many different directions—even in different political directions.
I am well acquainted with this as a person, and now as a rabbi, who has been in an interfaith marriage for over 35 years with a Catholic man who immigrated to the U.S. at a very tender time in his life. Not only was my interfaith marriage a challenge to the Jewish community, but my political opinions often clashed with the greater Jewish community, a community I had always longed to be part of.
My husband and I had to negotiate our differences completely on our own, with no outside support. On the contrary, we had to deal with a lot of pushback and rejection from family and friends as well as from the Jewish community.
By this account, our marriage should have failed, and our children should have been utterly lost, neither of which is true. (To the contrary, they are two well-grounded adults.)
I also should never have, in my wildest dreams, gone down this path of becoming a rabbi--not to mention the fact that I was brought up completely secular, and was an atheist for most of my life.
I only wish I, and we, had had the kind of guidance and support that I offer individuals, couples, and their families.
I bring the sensitivity and awareness needed for today’s world into all my work as a rabbi, for the sake of all involved.
I bring my vast life experience, and also proof that we can live in a way that brings more love into the world as opposed to strife.
I bring proof that all this is possible.
It is beautiful, creative work that requires flexibility determined by the situation of the moment, and I am joyfully passionate about it.
If what I describe is what you want, then I am the rabbi for you.
I will accompany you as you begin a new part of your Jewish journey, and I look forward to meeting you.
With many blessings,
Rabbi Juliet
P.S. While I don't like turning people away for financial reasons, and I understand the wildly outrageous costs of living, in particular of weddings in today’s world, and for all the reasons described above, I reserve lowered fees for those truly in need.
Because the best work starts with mutual respect.
